Apparatus for the treatment of hydrocarbon oils



R. B. DAY.

APPARATUS FOR THE TREATMENT OF HYDROCARBON OILS.

' APPLICATION FILED JULYZ]. 1918.

Patented Nov. 2, 1920,

I ijvwemtoz I 6. j (lbtozwug kmncmbz w h UNITED STATES PATENT o FFICE.

ROLAND B. DAY, OF SWARTHMORE, PENNSYLVANIA, 'ASSIGNOR T ALFRED 1B. ADAMS,

OF NEW YORK, N. Y. I

APPARATUS FOR THE TREATMENT OF HYDROCARBON OILS.

Application filed July 27,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROLAND B. DAY, a citizen of the' United States, residing at Swarthmore, in the county of Delaware and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for the Treatment of vHydrocarbon Oils, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for producing hydrocarbon oils having low boil ing points from hydrocarbon oils having high boiling points. The invention relates particularly to apparatus for conducting cracking processes in which the hydrocarbon material to be treated is subjected to contact with hot gases of combustion substantially devoid of oxygen whereby the-vapors mingle with the hot gases and are cracked thereby.

One feature of the invention is the particular apparatus used in the fractional distillation of the untreated oil and means for progressive introduction of the vaporous fractions into contact with acurrent of the hot gases of combustion in such a manner I that the lighter fractions are treated with time are treated with the the hottest gases of combustion to efiect cracking and the vapors of the heavier fracprogressively cooler gases.

The apparatus is designed to perform a distillation and cracking feature operated at a common pressure and is to be operated at certain ranges of temperature for the cracking temperature.

The invention further provides means for the generation of gases of combustion ad 1 jacent the base of the cracking apparatus, which is preferably upright, and the dis tillation of the fresh oil in a supplemental combined condensing and distillation tower located above and as a continuation of the cracking chamber.

The above mentioned and other features of the invention will be described in detail and claimed in the following specification and claims and described in the drawings, in which; I I

Figure 1 represents a vertical sectional View through the preferred form 'of apparatus; t

Fig. 2 is an exterior view taken at r ght angles to Fig. 1 and illustrating the progres- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2,1920. 1913. seri l No. 247,011.

sive arrangement of the piping for the fractional distillate vapors.

It is generally known that different oils will crack at different temperatures and that in the case of petroleum the'lower the boiling pointthe higher the. cracking point. The present invention provides for the application of this principle to the cracking of hydrocarbon oils while'in a vaporous con- 1 dition by contact with hot gases of combustion substantially devoid of oxygen or by other heating means. In carrying the process into effect, the oil to be treated is first separated into a number of diiferent cuts or fractions according to their boiling points and thereafter acted upon by the temperature best suited to each fraction.

The invention provides an apparatus which is substantially tower like'or cylindrical. In the lower part of this tower,

which is of metal, gases of combustion are generated and'the quenched gases rise up ward through the tower to an outlet at the.

top. The lower part of the tower, adjacent the source of gases of combustion, is lined with fire brack and constitutes chamber. The upper, portion of the apparatus constitutes a combined fractionating and condensing tower and need not be lined with fire brick as the gases of combustion will be cooled before reaching that part and no cracking will take place. In the combined fractionating and condensing tower is a coil of pipe within which the fresh oil'is distilled and fractionated by the heat taken from the current of gases passing. Attached to the-inner surface of the combined frac tionating and condensing tower are a series of annular troughs adapted to catch condensates of diiferent boiling points and. conduct the same into the distilling coil for further subsequent distilling and cracking.

it is lined with fire brick 2 or other ma-1 cracking temterial capable of withstanding perature. The lowenend of the cylinder is continued downwardly in a'tapered portion the cracking 9Q? Referring in detail to the drawing,-1 indicate's acylindrical metal casing which stands --or topmost lead off cracking chamber. llt will topmost pipe 13 is introduced into the crack- 4 3. v The upper end of the cylinder 1 is closed by atop member 4: having formed therein an outlet opening 5 for the passage of vapors which may be driven off to a suitable condenser, not-shown. Adjacent the bottom of the cylinder 1 and above the tapered portion 3 are the laterally extending conically shaped hollow burner extensions 6. These extensions are tightly secured tothe cylinder .1 and are a substantially continuous part thereof. Fire brick 2 is also used within the burner extensions 6. At the extreme ends of the extensions 6 and positioned just within the bore of the extensions is an oil burner 7 having connected thereto the oil pipe 8 and steam pipe 9. The fire blast from the burner 7 causes considerable pressure and a positive movement of gases upward through the cylinder 1. An elbow pipe 10 of approximately the same bore as the bore of the abutting end of the extension 6 is fastened to the extension in alinement with the extension. and extends downwardly. Oxygen or air under plied through the pipe 10 from any suitable source, such as a pump, not shown. The end of the pipe farthest from the cylinder 1 is preferably provided with valve means for closing the same and thus maintaining pressure within the cylinder.

Within the upper portion of the cylinder is a pipe coil 11, illustrated as having nine coils. The upper end of this coil extends to a point beyond the cylinder, wall 6 and constitutes the receiving end of the coil for the reception of fresh oil. The lowermost end of the coil is located at a central point w'thin the cylinder and at a point adjacent to the top of the fire brick 2, or just beyond the crackin area. At) predetermined oints, accor ing to fractions to be obtaine lead off pipes 12 are connected to the top side of the pipe coil 11. The first pipe is indicated as 13, the second as 14:, the third .s 15, and the fourthas 16. The pipes 13, 1 1, 15, and 16 extend from the coil 11 to the cylinder 1 and downwardly through the brick 2 to predetermined points above the lateral extensions (it at which points the pipes 13, 14, 15 and 16, project through the casing 1 into the be noted that the ing chamber at the lowest point and that the other pipes progressively are introduced at points above the same and in inverse relation with respect to their relation to the coil 11. Steam injector pipes 13*, 14?, 15 and 18* are provided at each point of introduction of pipes 13, 1 1, 15 and 16 to assist in forcing in. the vapors of oil. The rate and force of flow may be gaged according to the functioning of the other parts of the apparatus and the temperature of the cylinder and amount of oil being treated.

pressure may be sup-.

' paratus, the

unaware A plurality of annular collector flanges 17 are mounted around the interior of the upper portion of the cylinder 1 and serve to catch any material condensin on the inner surface of the cylinder 1. li [aterial thus caught is led from the flanges 17 through the pipes 18 into the coil 11. A trap 18 provides that no vapors or gases from the coil shall pass upwardly through the pipes 18. The collector flanges -17 are located as desirable and are spaced so as to catch condensates of difl'erent boiling points which condensates are led back into the coil at points which are best suited for the further fractioning of the material.

The coil may be supported within the cylinder by any suitable bracing means illustrated as two bars extending across the bore of the cylinder 1 and supporting the coil 11 at two different points intermediate of its length. j

The lower end of the tapered portion 3 is provided with a pipe 3 for introducing air to burn out carbon which may fall within the tapered portion or accumulate on the walls of the cracking chamber. A lower cover plate 3 is also provided for access to the cracking chamber.

In the operation of the process and apburners 7 are ignited and oil is pumped into the coil 11. The amount of oil does not fill the bore of the coil pipe but flows only on the lower'side thereofin its travel through the coil. The flames from the burners 7 provide a current/of intensely hot gases which rise upward through the cracking chamber and travel around and past the coil'll. The heat; vvaporizes oil within the coil. Fraction No. 1 as vapor is taken off by pipe 13, fraction No. 2 through pipe 11, fraction No. 3 through pipe 15, and fraction No. 1 through pipe 16. Fraction No. 1 has a lower boiling point because it was heated by the coolest gases, farthest from the burner. Accordingly in order that this distillate can be cracked, it must be subjected to the hottest cracking heat and it is therefore introduced as vapor by pipe 13 at the lowermost point of introduction within the erackingchamber. Fraction No. 2 being taken fromthc coil '11 at a. point farther down, at pipe 1 1, is necessarily hotter and is led intothe cracking chamber above the first fraction. The effect is that the first introduction of oil vapor into the hot gas cooled it to the point where the next fraction would react to the best advantage. The gases and comminglcd cracked vapors not condensed on the walls of the cylinder 1 are led out of the opening 5 in the top 4 and passed through any suitable condenser not shown, and refined, as desired.

The invention includes the operation at temperature ranging from 600 to 3000 F. and at pressure ranging up to 600 lbs. per

square inch. The apparatus must operate under pressure and the pressure is equalized through the various pipes and other parts of the apparatus.

Any number of fractions could be similarly treated, and the apparatus is applicable to any type of vapor phase process. Changes 1 gases of combustion than said first point of in s ze, shape and material may bemade without departing from the scope of the in vention.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for treating hydrocar; bon oils which comprises a cracking chamber, a distilling chamber positioned as 'a continuation of said cracking chamber, a vapor generating distilling 0011 within said distilling chamber, means for introducing oil to be treated into the distilling coil at the end thereof farthest removed from the cracking chamber, means for generating hot gas of combustion and supplying the same I to said cracking chamber, and means for conducting from said coil vapors distilled from oil within said distillin introducing said vapors into said cracking chamber to be heated by said hot gases of combustion.

2. An apparatus for treating hydrocarbon oils which comprises a cracking chamber, a

combined condensing and distillin chamber positioned as a continuation ofsald cracking chamber, a distilling coil within said combined condensing and distilling chamber, means for introducing oil to be treated into the distilling coil, collector means secured to and extending around the inner Wall of said combined condensing and distilling chamber to catch any condensed material, means for conducting condensed material from said collector means into said coil, means for generating hot gases of combustion and supplying the same to said cracking chamber, and means for conducting the vapors generated insaid coil into said cracking chamber.

3. An apparatus for treating hydrocarbon oils which comprises a cracking chamber, a distilling chamber, a distilling coil within said distilling chamber, means for introduciiig oil to be treated into said coil, means for providing a current of hot gases of combustion within said combustion chamber, a plurality of separate and independent means for conducting material from difi'erent parts of said coil and introducing said material into different parts of said cracking chamber.

-7 4. An apparatus for treating hydrocarbon oils which comprises a cracking chamber, a

distilling chamber, a distilling coil within said distilling chamber, means forintroducing oil to be treated into said coil, means for providing a current ofhot gases of combustion within said combustion chamber, means for conducting vaporous material from said coil an d removal and introducing the same into said cracking chamber at a point farther away from the source of said gases of combustion than the point of said first introduction. 5. An apparatus for treating hydrocarbon oils which comprises an upright cracking chamber, a distillin chamber positioned as a continuation of said cracking chamber and extending lengthwise of the same, a distilling coil within said distilling chamber, means for introducing oil into the upper portion of the coil, means for providing a current of hot gases of. combustion within said combustion chamber, means for conducting vaporous material from said coil at a point relatively distant from the source of said gases of combustion and introducing said material into said cracking chamber at a point adjacent the source of said gases of combustion, and means for conducting vaporous material from said coil at a point relatively nearer the source of said gases of combustion than said first point of removal and introducing the same into said cracking for providing a heating medium within said cracking chamber, means for conducting vaporous material from said coil at a point relatively distant from the source of said heating medium and subjecting said material to the action of the heatv provided by said heating medium, and means for conducting vaporous material from said coil at a point relatively nearer the source of said heating medium, than said first point of removal and subjecting the same to the action of the heat of said heating medium at a point farther away from the source of said heating medium than the point of said first subjection to the action of the heating medium.

i 7. An apparatus for treating hydrocarbo oils which comprises an upright cracking chamber, a distillin chamber positioned as a continuation of said cracking chamber and extending lengthwise of the same, a distilling coil within said distilling chamber, means for providing a currentof hot ases of combustion within said combustion c amber, means for introducing oil into the upper portion of the coil, means for conducting material from said coil at a point relatively distant from the source of said gases of combustion and introducing said material into said cracking chamber at a point adj acent the source of said gases of combustion, and means for conducting material from said coil at a point relatively nearer the source of said gases of combustion than said memes first'pointof removal and introducing the 10 In testimony Whereofl-'have hereunto set 15 my hand.

ROLAND B. DAY. 

